Hand level with mirror



April 16 1963 E. w. DAVIS HAND LEVEL WITH MIRROR Filed April 50, 19593,685,465 HAND LEVEL WITH MIRROR Elwin W. Davis, Wakefield, Mass,assignor to C. L. Berger & Sons, Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts Filed Apr. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 810,145 2 Claims. (Cl.88-23) This invention relates generally to surveying and moreparticularly to an improved hand level.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of handlevel construction which is easy to use and accurate.

Another object herein is to provide a hand level in which no lenses arerequired. A bubble tube and mirror afford simultaneous viewing of thesighting point, plane objective and bubble.

A still further object lies in the provision of structure of the classdescribed which is rugged so as to withstand rough usage, and which iscompact and convenient to use.

A feature of the invention is that it may be used as a surface level.

Another feature of the invention is that the level may be easily placedwithin the users pocket and clipped thereto, preventing accidental loss.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fullyappear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view as seen from the plane 22 on FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view as seen from the left of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view as seen from the right of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 6-6 onFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a schematic view in perspective.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated byreference character 10, comprises, broadly: a body element 12, areflector element 14, a leveling element 16, reflector element adjustingmeans 18, a sighting window element 20, a clip element 22, and a viewingorificed element 24.

The body element 12 is preferably a casting of light durable metal, suchas magnesium or aluminum and is of irregular configuration best seen inFIGURES 2 and 6 of the drawings. The body element is of generally hollowshape having a top wall 26, a bottom wall 28, side walls 30 and 32, arear wall 34.

The top wall 26 is relatively thick and has a front opening bore 36which is of a size suflicient to receive the leveling element 16. Thewall 26 has a top elongated opening 38 which is of sufficient size toenable the user to see the element 16 when viewed from above, and whichalso admits light so that the bubble 17 may be clearly seen as reflectedfrom the element 14 through the aperture 25. The under surface 27 of topwall 26 is open at 39 below the element 16, and said under surface has apair of spaced dependent ribs 40 which guide and laterally support theupper end of the reflector element 14.

The top wall 26 and the side walls 30 and 32 project forward beyond thesighting window element 20 to form the hood member 42 which physicallyprotects the window element 20 and also acts as a shade. The clipelement 22 is secured to the top wall 26 in a suitable manner ice as bymeans of the rivets 44. The clip element is preferably formed fromresilient planar material, and has an elongated orifice 23 whichgenerally coincides with the opening 38 to enable viewing the element 16from above and to illuminate the said element.

The bottom wall 28 preferably has a flat upper surface with a pair ofupwardly projecting ribs 41 which guide and laterally support the lowerportion of the reflector element 14. The bottom wall 28 on the lowersurface thereof is provided with a front pad 45 and a rear pad 46, theheight of which is such that when resting on a level surface 50, theleveling element 16 will be level. The bottom wall 28 has an elongatedslot and recess 47 for receiving the adjusting means 18.

The rear wall 34 is provided with a hole 52 into which the orificedmember 24 is a frictional or snap fit. The orificed member 24 has a body53 in which the aperture 25 is located on the principal horizontaloptical axis of the device 10. The member 24 is maintained in positionby a plurality of resilient fingers 54 which engage the inner surface ofthe border of the hole 52. The fingers in their normal unstressedcondition radiate outwardly so that when the member 24 is in place, saidfingers 54 maintain a constant outward pressure against the innersurface of the border of the hole 52.

In the forward portion thereof, the body element 12 is provided with atop shoulder 56 and side shoulders 57 against which the inner surface ofthe sighting window element 20 rests, said element being suitablysecured in place, for example, by cement 59.

The leveling element 16 is preferably a bubble vial well known in theart, and it is secured in place preferably by cement 60. The size of thebubble 17 is correlated to the distance between the lines 62 on the clipelement 22, and the lines 63 on the sighting wind-ow element 20. Line 64is the horizontal center line on the window element 20'.

The reflector element 14 is preferably formed from a bent strip ofmetal, such as, brightly polished brass chrome plated, brightly polishedstainless steel, or bright- 1y polished aluminum. The upper rear surface65 therefor, forms a mirror from which an image of the bubble 17 isreflected toward the aperture 25. The base 66 of the element 14 isprovided with a threaded orifice 67 which is engaged by the screw 68.Tightening the screw 68 clamps the element 14 at the optimum positionthereof. When the screw is loosened, adjustment can be made since thenthe element 14 may be shifted longitudinally of the device.

The sighting window element 20 is provided with a mask 21. This may be aseparate piece of opaque material, but is preferably an opaque coatingobtained by roughening the front surface of the element 20 and applyingan opaque layer of enamel paint or the like. Another Way of producingthis structure is to have the central portion of the element 20depressed so as to be clear glass while the surrounding masking area israised and sandblasted to be opaque. The stadia lines (lines 63, 64 and61) being depressed into the front surface of the glass.

In actual use, it is preferable that the interspacing of the lines 63 besubstantitially equal to or slightly greater than the length of thebubble in the bubble vial.

It may thus be seen that there has been provided a novel and useful handlevel construction which although capable of mass production provides ahigh degree of accuracy. In use, the user may draw a sight on somepredetermined point viewing the same through the aperture 25 and thewindow 26. At the same time, the device 10 may be brought to a levelcondition so that the image of the bubble 17 as reflected by the mirrorsurface 65 coincides with the image which the user sees at either sideof the mirror. The stadia lines assist in making calculations andchanges.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction for obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

I claim:

1. In a hand level, a hollow body element having a top wall, there beingan opening in said top wall, a clip element secured to said top wall ofsaid body element, a reflector element within said body element, aslighting Window element at the front of the body element, a viewingorificed member at the rear of said body element, and forming with saidsighting window a principal sighting axis, a leveling element having abubble and connected to said top wall of said body element, saidleveling element being disposed out of teh principal sighting axis, andbeing visible by reflection through said viewing orificed member andalso visible through said top opening, said clip element having anorifice corresponding with said top opening and through which saidleveling element is visible from above said level, said reflectorelement being narrower than said sighting window element, so that saidreflector element reflects an image of said bubble and only partiallyobstructs the passage of light through said slighting window element andalong said principal sighting axis, said body element having adownwardly facing surface lying in a plane parallel to said principalsighting axis, first level indicating lines disposed on said sightingwindow and viewable along said principal sighting axis, and second levelindicating lines disposed on said body element above said levelingelement; whereby said level may be selectively used as a sighting leveland a fixed surface measuring level.

2. In a hand level, a hollow body element having a top wall, there beingan opening in said top wall, a clip element secured to said top wall ofsaid body element, a reflector element within, said body element, asighting window element at the front of the body element, a viewingorificed member at the rear of said body element,

and forming with said sighting window a principal sighting axis, aleveling element having a bubble and connected to said top Wall of saidbody element, said leveling element being disposed out of the principalsighting axis, and being visible by reflection through said viewingorificed member and also visible through said top opening, said clipelement having an orifice corresponding with said top opening andthrough which said leveling element is visible from above said level,said reflector element being narrower than said sighting window element,so that said reflector element reflects an image of said bubble and onlypartially obstructs the passage of light through said sighting windowelement and along said principal sighting axis, said body element havinga downwardly facing surface lying in a plane parallel to said principalsighting axis, first level indicating lines disposed on said sightingwindow and viewable along said principal sighting axis, and second levelindicating lines disposed on said clip element adjacent the openingtherein and above said leveling element; whereby said level may beselectively used as a sighting level and a fixed surface measuringlevel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7,477Locke July 2, 1850 54,698 Davidson May 15, 1866 303,269 Dunham Aug. 12,1884 360,805 Gurley Apr. 5, 1887 518,678 Paoli Apr. 24, 1894 887,256Konig May 12, 1908 1,086,124 Beebe Feb. 3, 1914 1,682,034 Burnister Aug,28, 1928 1,696,508 Thorborn Dec. 25, 1928 1,714,827 Torka et al. May 28,1929 1,799,801 Langsner Apr. 7, 1931 2,731,873 Churgin et al. Jan. 24,1956 2,780,960 Miller Feb, 12, 1957

1. IN A HAND LEVEL, A HOLLOW BODY ELEMENT HAVING A TOP WALL, THERE BEINGAN OPENING IN SAID TOP WALL, A CLIP ELEMENT SECURED TO SAID TOP WALL OFSAID BODY ELEMENT, A REFLECTOR ELEMENT WITHIN SAID BODY ELEMENT, ASLIGHTING WINDOW ELEMENT AT THE FRONT OF THE BODY ELEMENT, A VIEWINGPRIFICED MEMBER AT THE REAR OF SAID BODY ELEMENT, AND FORMING WITH SAIDSIGHTING WINDOW A PRINCIPAL SIGHTING AXIS, A LEVELING ELEMENT HAVING ABUBBLE AND CONNECTED TO SAID TOP WALL OF SAID BODY ELEMENT, SAIDLEVELING ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED OUT OF THE PRINCIPAL SIGHTING AXIS, ANDBEING VISIBLE BY REFLECTION THROUGH SAID VIEWING ORIFICED MEMBER ANDALSO VISIBLE THROUGH SAID TOP OPENING, SAID CLIP ELEMENT HAVING ANORIFICE CORRESPONDING WITH SAID TOP OPENING AND THROUGH WHICH SAIDLEVELING ELEMENT IS VISIBLE FROM ABOVE SAID LEVEL, SAID REFLECTORELEMENT BEING NARROWER THAN SAID SIGHTING WINDOW ELEMENT, SO THAT SAIDREFLECTOR ELEMENT REFLECTS AN IMAGE OF SAID BUBBLE AND ONLY PARTIALLYOBSTRUCTS THE PASSAGE OF LIGHT THROUGH SAID SLIGHTING WINDOW ELEMENT ANDALONG SAID PRINCIPAL SIGHTING AXIS, SAID BODY ELEMENT HAVING ADOWNWARDLY FACING SURFACE LYING IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID PRINCIPALSIGHTING AXIS, FIRST LEVEL INDICATING LINES DISPOSED ON SAID SIGHTINGWINDOW AND VIEWABLE ALONG SAID PRINCIPAL SIGHTING AXIS, AND SECOND LEVELINDICATING LINES DISPOSED ON SAID BODY ELEMENT ABOVE SAID LEVELINGELEMENT; WHEREBY SAID LEVEL MAY BE SELECTIVELY USED AS A SIGHTING LEVELAND A FIXED SURFACE MEASURING LEVEL.